Borrowing up: Consumer borrowing increased in February...

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Borrowing up: Consumer borrowing increased in February for the sixth month in a row, led by auto and credit-card borrowing, the Federal Reserve System said. The $1.168 billion increase in consumer credit, which excludes home equity loans, contributed to a 1.9 percent gain in the annual rate of borrowing, the Fed said. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg Business News anticipated an increase of $400 million. February's level of consumer credit, a seasonally adjusted $728.815 billion, follows a revised gain of $994 million during January to $727.647 billion.